


The More You Say, The Less I Know

by TheKlutsyDraconoquus



Series: Strange Magic [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Adora Has Issues (She-Ra), Angst, Bow Is a Good Friend (She-Ra), Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Catra Has Issues (She-Ra), Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Glimmer (She-Ra) is a Good Friend, Glimmer Needs a Hug (She-Ra), Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Magicats (She-Ra), Past Abuse, Post-Canon, Princess Catra (She-Ra), Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra)'s A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:53:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28835898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheKlutsyDraconoquus/pseuds/TheKlutsyDraconoquus
Summary: When Entrapta picks up on a strange energy signature similar to a Runestone, the Best Friend Squad decides to investigate. The signature leads them to the lost kingdom of Halfmoon. And its previously dormant Runestone.
Relationships: Adora & Bow & Catra & Glimmer & Melog (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra), Netossa/Spinnerella (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Series: Strange Magic [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2079399
Comments: 25
Kudos: 97





	1. Where Ever You Stray, I'll Follow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Entrapta discovers a strange new energy signal, which brings up a lot of questions.

_A Magicat stood on the balcony of the palace, his d_ _ark fur blending in with the lengthening shadows as he gazed out across the city and the desert beyond. A smaller, lighter colored Magicat slipped out onto the balcony. "Your Majesty," they said softly, "I'm afraid I have bad news."_

_"What is it?" the dark Magicat asked without even glancing in the other's direction._

_The small Magicat flinched, bracing themself for the news they had to deliver. "The-the princess, she was unable to connect to the Runestone. The sorcerers say there is no spark left in it anymore. I'm sorry, our Runestone is dead."_

_The dark Magicat dropped his head. "Then there is nothing we can do." He squared his shoulders and turned to the other Magicat. "The princess will take her place as heir to the throne, as planned. If the Runestone has no more spark, then the line of the Fire Princess is gone."_

_"But Your Majesty, what will we do without our Runestone?" the smaller Magicat asked._

_"Persevere." The dark Magicat rested his hands on the balcony rail, tail lashing back and forth. "Like we always have. And if Saz allows," he gazed out at the moons falling beneath the horizon, casting the land into night, "perhaps one day we will get our Fire Princess back."_

* * *

Deep within the labyrinth of Dryl Castle, an urgent beeping filled Princess Entrapta's lab, drowning out the sounds of all the other tech. Emily beeped in response as Entrapta and Hordak pulled themselves out of the bot they were working on. "What's that?" he asked his partner. 

"I'm not sure," she replied, pushing up her mask and making her way over to the beeping computer. 

Hordak turned back to the bot. He stiffened when he hear Entrapta's alarmed cry. "What is it?!" he called as he ran to her side. 

Entrapta didn't answer, her hands and hair flying over the keyboard and her wide eyes glued to the screen. The screen showed a map of Etheria, dotted with several mulicolored lights. Over the Crimson Waste, a red dot blinked urgently. The princess suddenly stilled, reading the data on the screen. 

"What is it?" Hordak asked again, reading over the data in confusion. 

Entrapta slowly turned to him, an excited look on her face. "We need to contact the Alliance," she said in a hushed whisper. 

* * *

Catra nudged hers and Adora's bedroom door open with her foot, holding two mugs in her hands. Melog slipped around her into the room, heading for their personal pile of pillows. Catra turned toward her girlfriend, smiling when she saw Adora hunched over the desk, her head propped up on her fist as she buried herself in whatever report she was reading. The light streaming through the nearby window cast the blond warrior in an ethereal glow, making her look more radiant than She-Ra, at least in Catra's opinion. 

Adora was so engrossed in the papers she was reading she didn't notice the feline sneaking up behind her. A furry tail lightly brushed against her chin. "Wah!" she shrieked, jerking back. She blushed as Catra's cackles filled the air. 

"Hey Adora~" Catra cooed with a grin, hopping up onto the desk, careful not to mess up her girlfriend's papers. 

"Catra," Adora replied in irritation, glaring at her girlfriend. Catra snickered and offered her one of the mugs as a peace offering. Adora's mouth quirked up in a reluctant smile and took it gratefully, taking a sip as she studied the brunette. Catra sat perched on her desk, legs crossed and leaning back on one hand as she drank her coffee, her tail flicking lazily. One of Adora's sweaters fell off her slender shoulder. Catra's hair had grown out a little in the past few months since the end of the war, but still remained in its cute, messy style. Thanks to proper meals and medical care that focused more on their patient's well being instead of just their ability to fight, the brunette looked healthier than she ever did in the Horde. 

Catra caught Adora staring at her and smirked, giving her a slow blink. Adora smiled, slowly returning the blink. She set her mug down on the desk.

Adora suddenly lunged at her girlfriend. Catra shrieked as Adora's arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her off the desk and into Adora's lap. Adora chuckled as Catra glared at her. She pulled the feline close to her and nuzzled her soft locks. Catra relaxed into her embrace, her tail flicking as she closed her eyes and rested her head on Adora's shoulder. "I love you," she whispered, her breath tickling Adora's skin. 

Adora smiled against Catra's hair. "I love you too," she replied softly. She didn't think she'd ever get tired of hearing or saying that. 

They sat and cuddled for a while, just content to be in each other's presence. Adora petted Catra's arm while Catra kneaded her jacket, her claws just barely pricking her skin. Catra's tail wrapped around Adora's leg as hers and Melog's purrs filled the air. Adora closed her eyes with a sigh, letting her head rest against Catra's. 

Sometimes neither of them could believe that this was real, that only months ago they had been fighting each other and now they were cuddled in each others arms, happier than ever before. Catra's mouth turned up in a bitter smile as she realized not for the first time that they could have been doing this long ago if she hadn't been so stubborn. 

Catra still had a lot she needed to make up for. She was helping rebuild everything she had helped destroy, and she had a lot of...personal issues she was dealing with, but she could handle it. She finally, finally had Adora by her side. Adora, who it turns out loved her back. And friends who still liked her despite her mistakes. The rest of the Rebellion was slowly warming up to her (They at least didn't want her dead or imprisoned anymore). She and Adora were going to therapy with Perfuma to work through their past trauma and very present issues (She hated to admit it, but meditation actually helped. Adora couldn't do it. She couldn't sit still long enough). So, yeah. Things were going pretty well for her for once. Catra often wondered when it would end. She tried not to, though. She was working on her negativity after all. 

Catra nuzzled Adora's neck, inhaling her sweet scent. Adora giggled, tightening her arms around Catra. She pressed a kiss into Catra's hair. "Do you have anything you need to do today?" Catra murmured. 

"Hm, not really," Adora replied, "Just some reports I need to go over." 

"Good." Catra kissed Adora's neck, making the blonde shiver. "Blow them off? Just for today?" 

"I don't know if I should-" Catra removed her head from Adora's neck, pulling her into a long kiss. When she pulled away, she rested her forehead against Adora's, her mismatched eyes gazing into her blue. Adora melted. "Okay," she whispered, her heart soaring when Catra smiled. She would gather up every star in the sky if it meant Catra would smile at her like that again. 

Catra kissed her again, wrapping her arms around Adora's neck. Adora hummed happily, running a hand up the brunette's back to tangle in her hair, tipping her head to the side to deepen the kiss. 

A soft sprinkling of glitter made Catra's ears twitch, just before Glimmer teleported into their room. "Adora! Catra!" Glimmer shouted as she suddenly appeared. Both girls startled, Catra accidentally biting Adora's lip. 

"What the heck, Sparkles?! We've told you to knock before popping in here," Catra growled, quickly smoothing her bristled tail as Adora wiped her bleeding lip. 

"Sorry, but it's urgent. Entrapta's called a meeting. She says she's found something we need to see." 

Adora and Catra glanced at each other. "We'll be there," Adora told the queen. Glimmer nodded, teleporting out of the room. Adora nudged Catra off her lap. 

"What do you think it is?" Catra asked her, leaning against the desk with her arms crossed as Adora stood. 

"I don't know," Adora admitted, straightening her jacket, "But if Entrapta's called a meeting over it, then it must be important." 

Catra nodded in agreement. Entrapta didn't usually call meetings. If she found some new tech, she normally just called them to gush over it. For her call a meeting over it.... 

The two of them shared a concerned look. Catra bit her lip. "You don't think it could be...?" 

"No! No," Adora hurried to reassure her girlfriend, "I don't think it's anything as bad as Horde Prime." 

"But what if-" Catra started to say, panic rising in her chest, before Adora grabbed her shoulders. 

"Hey, hey. It's okay. He's gone," she told her, "He can't hurt you anymore."

Catra's tail flicked nervously as she clung to Adora's jacket. "I-I know he's gone," she mumbled into her girlfriend's chest, "but I'm just...."

"Still afraid he'll come back?" Adora finished, wrapping her arms around her trembling girlfriend. Catra nodded. Adora rubbed her back comfortingly. "He's not coming back, Catra," she told her softly, "I made sure of that." 

She moved her hands up to Catra's shoulders, gently pushing her back to look into her eyes. "And even if he did, I would never, ever let him hurt you again. I promise."

Catra's eyes widened as she held Adora's determined gaze. Her breath caught in her throat as she silently nodded. A weak smile crept over her face. "I love you," she breathed. 

Adora smiled, giving Catra a kiss. "I love you too. Now, come on." She pulled away, holding out her hand. "Let's go see what Entrapta wants to show us."

Catra took it, letting Adora lead her out of their room. Melog stood from their pillows, yawning and shaking themself before following them. 

Adora and Catra made their way to the war room hand in hand, with Melog walking beside them. 

Most of the Alliance was already gathered in the war room (They needed to find a new name for it, but hadn't had the time). Mermista was slumped down in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest, looking bored out of her mind, while Sea Hawk told her one of his outlandish stories. Beside them, Netossa and Spinnerella were playing a game with Frosta. Scorpia sat close together, talking softly. Perfuma's hand rested on Scorpia's claw. Swift Wind, Bow, and Emily silently watched Entrapta tap on her tracker pad, pacing back and forth on her pigtails. As Adora and Catra sat down, Glimmer teleported in with her father and aunt. 

"Oh good! You're all here! We can get started!" Entrapta said gleefully. 

"What's this about, Geek Princess?" Mermista drawled as Glimmer, Micah, and Castaspella took their seats. 

Entrapta hooked her tracker pad up to the table, bringing up the map of Etheria. Several multicolored dots popped up all over it. "As you all know there has been an extreme increase of magic since the Heart of Etheria was destroyed," Entrapta began as the others studied the map curiously, "I decided to study the effects of this on the planet. The different colored dots on this map represent each source of magical energy. She-Ra and the Runestones give off the strongest magical energy signals, or MES for short." She gestured to the map. Sure enough, over Bright Moon they could see a white dot that they assumed was the Moonstone. Beside it was a slightly smaller, yellow dot they guessed was Adora. 

"However, this one," Entrapta pointed to a red dot blinking over the Crimson Waste, "just appeared today." 

"It's as big as the Runestones," Glimmer observed quietly.

"Yes," Entrapta affirmed. 

"Do you know what it is?" Scorpia asked. 

"No. That's the problem. Hordak and I don't know of anything in that area that could cause an MES this strong." 

"Could it be another Runestone?" Adora asked. 

"That's impossible!" Netossa replied, "We already know of all the Runestones on Etheria!" 

"Not necessarily," Micah spoke up. The others turned to him in confusion. 

"What do you mean, Dad?" Glimmer asked. 

Micah rubbed his chin as he looked up at the ceiling in thought. "I once read about a missing Runestone. The Fire Crystal. It's said to have belonged to the kingdom of Halfmoon." 

"The Magicat kingdom?!" Bow cried in surprise. 

Adora, Catra, Melog, and Scorpia looked at him in confusion. "What's a Magicat?" Adora asked. 

The others stared at them in astonishment. "You don't know what a Magicat is?" Mermista said slowly. 

"Should we?" Catra asked, arching a brow. 

"I mean, yeah. You should. Catra, that's-" Mermista's face fell into a sad and pitying expression. "-that's what you are." 

Catra stilled, blinking in shock. "Wha-what?" 

"The Magicats were a race of feline humanoids that used to make up part of Etheria's population," Entrapta explained, resting her hands on the table, "They can usually be identified by their feline-like attributes. They were said to be some of the best warriors in Etheria. Their kingdom, Halfmoon, was located somewhere in the Crimson Waste. However, Halfmoon and the Magicats disappeared almost twenty years ago."

"What happened to them?" Catra asked softly. Her tail flicked nervously. She was almost afraid to hear the answer. 

Mermista, Perfuma, Entrapta, Frosta, Sea Hawk, Bow, and Glimmer looked at each other awkwardly. The older Alliance members looked down in sorrow. "They were destroyed," Micah finally answered. Adora, Catra, and Scorpia paled at his words. "The Horde attacked them. They weren't part of the Alliance back then, and by the time we found out they were in trouble, it was too late. The Horde had massacred the people and left their kingdom in ruins. We never found any survivors." 

Castaspella patted her brother's shoulder comfortingly as he hung his head in shame. "We had hoped that some of them might have survived. Many of the bodies had never been found. But the only Magicat we've seen since then is, well...." 

Catra sat stunned as Castaspella nodded to her, unable to believe what she was hearing. Her whole life she had been told she was a freak, unwanted by even her own family. Now she was finding out that was not the case. There were more like her. Not just more, AN ENTIRE KINGDOM!

"Catra?" Adora's voice suddenly broke her out of her thoughts. Catra looked up to see the others staring at her. "I-I'm sorry, what?" she asked, shaking her head to clear her mind. 

"Casta asked if any of you had ever seen any other Magicats in the Horde," Glimmer said, concerned. 

Catra's ear flicked. "N-no, I don't think I ever saw anyone like me." _Maybe if there were more people like me, they wouldn't have treated me like Adora's_ pet! Catra thought bitterly. 

"That's what I said," Adora replied. 

"I don't think I've ever seen any others either," Scorpia agreed, scratching her head, "No, wait! Maybe I did? I was really young, so I'm not sure." 

"It's okay, Scorpia," Perfuma said, patting her girlfriend's arm. 

"Yeah, chances are if there was another person like me in the Horde, they were killed years ago," Catra added with a shrug. She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm pretty sure the only reason I was allowed to live was because Adora liked me." 

The blonde warrior flinched, looking away as she rubbed the back of her neck. She had always known Shadow Weaver had hated Catra for some reason. The sorceress had treated Catra poorly for as long as she could remember, always giving her the worst punishments and blaming her for things that weren't her fault. Though Adora had tried to defend her best friend, she remained blind to most of the abuse. It wasn't until recently, when Catra started trying to be more open about it, that Adora had realized just how bad Shadow Weaver's abuse had been, and how close she had gotten to loosing her best friend for good. Adora didn't know if she would ever be able to forgive herself for leaving Catra all alone with that witch (Perfuma told her that it wasn't her fault. Shadow Weaver had abused both her and Catra, even if it wasn't in the same ways. But Adora still thought that she should have noticed it sooner and done something). 

Catra noticed her girlfriend's discomfort, turning to her with a curious tail twitch. She softened as she realized what the princess was probably thinking. She reached over and touched her girlfriend's hand. 

Adora felt a hand on hers, pulling her out of her self deprecating thoughts. She looked up to meet Catra's mismatched gaze. The brunette smiled, rubbing her thumb across her knuckles. Melog began to purr, pressing against Adora's side. Adora smiled at her girlfriend, raising her hand to her lips. Catra blushed, quickly turning back to the conversation the others were having. 

Mermista and Perfuma were arguing if some of the Magicats could have survived the massacre. Perfuma was insisting that if one Magicat could have survived, then others must have too. Mermista retorted that they couldn't have survived, even if Catra did. The Horde had been the ones who took Catra from her family and destroyed Halfmoon. Frosta, Sea Hawk, Netossa, and Swift Wind had taken Mermista's side, while Castaspella had taken Perfuma's. Scorpia looked torn between agreeing with Mermista and being loyal to her girlfriend. Bow and Glimmer were trying to get the others back on track. Micah and Spinnerella silently watched the fiasco, while Entrapta was studying something on her tracker pad.

"Okay!" Glimmer shouted over the others, "Dad, you were saying about the Runestone?" 

"Huh?" Micah asked, turning to his daughter, "Oh, yeah. The Fire Crystal was said to have belonged to Halfmoon. According to legend, it granted its princesses the power of fire. However, it was destroyed centuries ago under mysterious circumstances." 

"But Micah, that was only a legend," Castaspella sighed, "The Fire Crystal never actually existed." 

"So was She-Ra, and she exists," Micah retorted. 

Casta looked from her brother to Adora. "Good point," she admitted with a nod. 

"But if this is the Fire Crystal regaining its power, how are we just now finding out about it?" Netossa asked, "The Heart was destroyed months ago." 

"Etheria's magic has been steadily growing ever since it was released," Adora replied, thinking, "It's possible that it's taken this long for the Fire Crystal to grow strong enough. If that is what this is." 

"Either way, whatever this is could be dangerous. We should investigate," Glimmer suggested, "Who's coming?" 

Adora's hand immediately shot up. Catra snickered. "Of course. I'll go too. Someone needs to keep you guys from getting yourselves killed." Melog meowed in agreement. 

"Great. Bow?" Glimmer turned to her boyfriend. 

Bow grinned. "A Best Friend Squad adventure? Yeah, I'm in!" 

"Me too! I need to see what this signal is!" Entrapta shouted excitedly.

Glimmer nodded. "Good. Anyone else?' 

"Oh, oh! Can I go?" Swift Wind asked, raising a wing. 

"Oh, please no," Catra muttered under her breath. 

"Sure, Swift Wind," Glimmer replied before turning to the others, "The rest of you stay here and monitor the situation. Let us know if anything changes." 

The others nodded before dispersing. Adora, Bow, Catra, Melog, Entrapta, and Swift Wind headed out to gather the supplies they would need for this mission, while the others went to do whatever it was they did. Glimmer watched them go until she and her father were the only two in the war room. A question had been bugging her ever since her dad had mentioned Halfmoon.

"Hey, Dad? Can I ask you something?" Glimmer asked before Micah could leave. 

The dowager king turned back to his daughter with a smile. He was always happy to talk with his little girl. "Sure, sweetie. What's up?" he asked, taking a seat. 

Glimmer sat down, gathering her thoughts before asking, "Mom once mentioned that Halfmoon was a close friend of Bright Moon before the invasion. Why weren't they part of the first Alliance?" 

Micah's smile fell. He looked away with a sigh. "Originally, they were. Halfmoon had always been friendly with the other kingdoms and willing to help where they could. Their princess, C'yra, had been friends with your mother. When we were putting together the first Princess Alliance, she was the first to join. But a horrible illness fell over Halfmoon. Many Magicats fell sick, including the king and queen. C'yra's father died from it, and it was unclear if her mother, Queen El'vira, would survive, so C'yra had to take over ruling the kingdom. On top of that, she found out she was expecting her first child! C'yra decided to withdraw from the Alliance to protect her people, and her son. We all understood and promised to protect them, but we failed." 

Glimmer watched her father wallow in his own guilt, her chest aching. She knew how it felt to loose a parent and be forced to take on the role of queen before she was ready. She couldn't say she would have done the same, but she understood wanting to protect her people. Glimmer scooted over and hugged her father. "It wasn't your fault, Dad," she said softly. 

"I know." Micah lifted his head and rubbed his teary eyes. "It just feels like we could have done more to stop it." 

Glimmer nodded, knowing how he felt. "I didn't know Mom was friends with the Magicat queen," she finally said. 

Micah chuckled. "Yeah, they were pretty close. Your mom and C'yra exchanged letters for most of their lives, even after Halfmoon went into isolation."

"Were you friends with Queen C'yra?" Glimmer asked. 

Micah burst out laughing. "Stars no! C'yra and I drove each other crazy! I can't even begin to tell you how many fights Angella and Fe'licity had to break up!" 

"Fe'licity?" 

"C'yra's wife." Micah wiped his eyes, still chuckling. "She was actually pretty great. Very intelligent. Catra's eyes are kind of similar to hers." 

"Really?" Glimmer asked, smiling. It was nice to hear her dad talk about him and her mom when they were kids. It made her feel close to her mother. 

Before Micah could answer, Bow stuck his head into the room. "Hey Glimmer, are you almost ready to go?" 

"Just give me a few minutes to pack," the queen replied, standing. She hugged her father tight before hurrying toward her boyfriend. "Oh hey," Glimmer said, turning back to her father, "How many children did Queen C'yra have?" 

Micah smiled. "Three. I think one of them would have been around your age." 

"Would I have liked them?" Glimmer asked with a grin. 

Micah snickered. "If they were anything like their mother, I highly doubt it. You would have tried to kill each other!" 

Glimmer giggled, exiting the war room. She and Bow shared a smile before she teleported them to her room. 

Bow sat down in the window seat while his girlfriend stuffed some things into a bag. "What were you talking to your dad about?" he asked curiously. 

"I was asking why Halfmoon wasn't in the first Princess Alliance," she replied, "My mom had mentioned them when I was younger, but she never explained why they stayed out of the war. It turns out they were, but some illness made them go into isolation." 

"Oh, that's awful!" Bow cried, teary-eyed. 

"Yeah," Glimmer agreed, shoving a spare change of clothes into her bag. She stared into the bag as she softly added, "Especially since their king died and the queen got so sick they didn't think she would live and their princess had to take over...."

Sensing what his girlfriend was thinking about, Bow stood and pulled Glimmer into his arms. Glimmer rested her head on his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. "Your mom would be proud of you," he assured her, "You're doing an amazing job ruling Bright Moon." Glimmer let out an unqueenly snort. "You are!" Bow insisted. 

"I know," Glimmer replied, pulling back enough to look up at her boyfriend, "I just miss her so much, Bow." 

"I know." Bow said sympathetically, pushing a strand of hair back. He kissed her forehead. Glimmer smiled, rising on her toes to kiss him. 

A loud knock interrupted their moment. "Hey Sparkles! Arrow Boy! We're ready to go! You coming?" Catra called. 

Gimmer groaned in irritation. "Yes! We'll be there in a minute!" she snapped. 

"Okay. Better be quick or we're leaving without you!" Adora's voice floated cheerfully through the door, eager to get going on a new mission. 

Glimmer glared daggers at their friends through the door while Bow laughed. "We're coming!" he replied. He picked up Glimmer's bag and held a hand out to her. "Shall we?" he asked the queen. 

Glimmer giggled, taking his hand. "We shall." 

They left Glimmer's room, meeting up with Adora, Catra, and Melog out in the hall. After gathering Entrapta and Swift Wind, they set off toward the Crimson Waste. 


	2. Howling Ghosts They Reappear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The BFS + Entrapta + Swift Wind meet up with Huntara in the Crimson Waste to ask about the Halfmoon ruins and discover something very sinister.

The desert heat beat down as the skiff skimmed over the wasteland. The Best Friend Squad pulled their skiff into the shadows of a rock near the cantina, five of them quickly hopping off. "Why are we here again?" Swift Wind asked as he watched his friends grab their bags.

"Because if we are to get to Halfmoon in one piece, we will need a guide to steer us around any possible dangers, Swifty," Adora explained, adjusting her hood over her head, "Huntara is the one person we know we can trust out here who knows the Crimson Waste well enough to help us. Just stay with the skiff. We'll be back in a few minutes." 

Swift Wind let out a huffy snort and settled down to wait as the others slipped out of the shade of the rock, making their way to the cantina. 

The cantina was the same as ever, sheltered from the heat and dim, as Adora pushed the curtain over the doorway aside. Patrons turned as the group walked in, but quickly went back to their business, much to Catra relief. Glimmer and Adora took the lead, with Bow pulling Entrapta along behind them as the scientist looked around in wonder. Catra and Melog brought up the rear, keeping an eye out for any sign of danger as they wove their way through the cantina.

They spotted Huntara at a table near the back, flirting with the bar maid as usual. She glanced over as they approach. "So I'll meet you at six, right?" she said to the bar maid. The woman giggled as she nodded, hurrying away. Huntara smiled as she watched her go.

"Nice to see you're doing well," Adora commented with a smirk as she sat down.

"I could say the same to you," Huntara replied, eyeing the space, or lack of, between Adora and Catra when the Magicat sat down. Catra blushed, glaring at her challengingly. Adora smile and held Catra's hand under the table.

"I see you got our message," Glimmer said, plopping down next to her best friends. Bow and Entrapta sat down beside her. Melog hopped up onto a chair next to Catra. 

Huntara sat back, smirking, "Yeah, I did," she replied, picking up her mug, "What's this about a rediscovered Runestone?" 

"Entrapta's found strange magical energy signal coming from somewhere in the Crimson Waste," Adora replied. Entrapta handed Huntara her tracker pad.

"We're not entirely sure what it is, but it gives of an MES similar to a Runestone," Entrapta explained. Huntara's brow furrowed as she tried to follow Entrapta's notes. "Through an analysis of Etheria's magic and where it is released at different levels, we can determine the strength of different magical sources. This one just showed up yesterday and judging by it's size it's been growing for a while, though I don't know why it's just now showing up, unless there was some sort of magical surge to the area which I also don't know what could have caused and it would probably take an enhanced study of how the magic flows through the planet, but it would be _so interesting_ and-" 

"We think it's coming from the lost kingdom of Halfmoon," Catra finally said, cutting off Entrapta's rambling before the tech princess could get too into it. 

At the mention of Halfmoon, Huntara went pale. She quickly shushed her, looking around to make sure no one was listening. Fortunately, everyone seemed to be minding their own business.

Huntara turned back to the Best Friend Squad, who were giving her funny looks. She silently beckoned for them to follow her, standing and heading for the back of the cantina. The others looked at each other warily before standing and following, Entrapta swiping her tracker pad off the table. 

Huntara led them into a back storage room and closed the door, peering through the crack to make sure no one had followed them. "Listen kids, you can't go around mentioning that name around here," she hissed as she turned to face the others, "That name will get you killed faster than anything." 

"Why?" Glimmer asked with growing nervousness, "What's wrong?" 

Huntara yanked the door open, sticking her head out to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Finding no one, she closed the door again and whispered, "It's _cursed!"_

The Best Friend Squad stiffened. "C-cursed?!" Bow squeaked fearfully. 

Huntara nodded. "Yeah. Ever since the Horde destroyed that place, everyone is terrified to even go near it. Few who go in there come back out, and those who do have brought back stories that the place is haunted. People disappearing into thin air and beasts bigger than She-Ra prowl the ruins. They also say that the ghosts of those who had died in the attack still wander the place. Some people think just _saying_ its name will curse you."

"Do you believe in these stories?" Catra asked softly, her lashing tail betrayed her nervousness. 

Huntara shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted, "but if someone is willing to go through all that trouble to keep that water to themselves, they can have it." She crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. "We get along just fine without it." 

"What do you mean?" Glimmer asked in confusion. 

"Halfmoon is built on an _oasis_ ," Huntara explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "A major source of water out here. If someone is trying to keep people away, they're going through an awful lot of trouble to make it seem like the place is cursed." 

"Can't say it's not working," Adora muttered.

Huntara ignored her. "That place used to be one of the best defended areas on Etheria. The Magicats themselves weren't exactly slouches either. With them gone, anyone could have taken over the oasis." 

"Clearly it wasn't defended will enough," Catra scoffed, crossing her arms irritably, "The Horde destroyed them." 

"Yeah, I've always found that kind of odd too," Huntara agreed. 

"My dad told me that Halfmoon went into isolation due to a mysterious illness," Glimmer spoke up, "Couldn't that have weakened them?" 

"Yes, but what could they have caught that spread so quickly?" Entrapta asked, "Magicats were said to be very careful about illnesses due to their young being so fragile. Magikittens can't even open their eyes until they're a few weeks old and their immune systems are very weak!" 

"You think it was done on purpose?!" Adora asked in surprise.

"I think that if someone wanted Halfmoon destroyed, they would have have to make sure the Magicats were weakened before hand," Entrapta replied intensely. 

The others gave each other wide eyed looks as chills ran down their spines. If what Entrapta was saying was true, someone meant for Halfmoon to fall to the Horde. 

"Guys," Bow whispered fearfully, "What if whoever caused the Magicats to get sick is still hanging around the oasis?!" 

"Then we're either dealing with an actual curse, or some thugs who made sure the Horde overthrew Halfmoon so they could take the water for themselves," Adora summarized, crossing her arms over her chest. 

"But why would someone curse the ruins if Halfmoon had already fallen?" Glimmer asked. 

"To keep any survivors from returning and taking their kingdom back," Huntara answered, "It defeats the purpose of destroying a people if they're just going to return." 

"Then why did Catra survive?" Bow asked, glancing over at their resident Magicat. Catra's ears perked at the question.

"I...honestly don't know," Huntara said slowly, "That attack happened after I left the Horde. I have no clue why the Horde would spare only one Magicat." 

Catra looked at the ground as her friends debated, her head spinning with the questions she'd had since she found out about the Magicats. Why _did_ the Horde spare her? Were there others out there who also survived? Was she the last one?

Catra shook her head, shoving those thoughts away. She didn't need to have an existential crisis right now. 

Melog looked up at her with an inquisitive mrr. "Are you okay?" they meowed in concern.

Catra gave them a weak smile, resting a hand on their head. "Later," she whispered.

Melog purred, pushing their head into her hand comfortingly. "I'm here if you need me." 

Catra felt warmth bubble in her chest. She petted them gratefully.

"Whatever the case, you kids need to stay away from that place," Huntara said, pulling Catra and Melog's attention back to the others, "Nothing good ever came out of there." 

The Best Friend Squad looked at each other nervously. "Are we sure we want to do this?" Catra asked, dread filling her stomach. While it would be nice to see where she came from and maybe get some answers about her people, she didn't necessarily want to get caught up in some curse or deal with some Crimson Waste thugs.

"We have to! It's for science!" Entrapta whined. 

"And possibly to protect the rest of Etheria," Adora added. 

"That too!" 

Bow and Glimmer nodded in agreement. Catra sighed, rubbing her hands over her face in irritation. Of _course_ her friends would insist on walking into a dangerous situation to help someone. 

"You kids are going to do this no matter what I tell you, aren't you?" Huntara huffed. 

The Best Friend Squad glanced at each other again and nodded. Huntara groaned in frustration, facepalming. "Fine! But I'm not taking you there. Possibly haunted First Ones spaceships are one thing, _that place_ is another." 

"Okay, then," Adora replied with a shrug, "We just need to know what to avoid on the way there." 

Huntara huffed again, gesturing for them to hand her Entrapta's tracker pad. When Entrapta handed it over, she began tapping information into it. After a minute she paused. "Hey, how exactly are you kids planning on getting there? You can't just walk to this place." 

"We have a skiff," Bow replied. 

"And you left it unguarded?! Kids, how many times do I have to tell you not to trust people out here?!" 

"Oh, don't worry! I installed some security measures!" Entrapta assured her. As if on cue, they heard a loud shriek from outside, followed by someone hitting the ground with a thump and Swift Wind shouting, "Ha! That's what you get!" 

Entrapta cackled in glee while Huntara stared at her warily. The Crimson Waste leader reminded herself not to ever get on the tech princess's bad side. 

* * *

The Best Friend Squad clambered back onto the skiff where Swift Wind was waiting, the alicorn looking smug. Huntara stood off to the side with her arms crossed. "If you get into trouble, I'm not coming to save you!" she shouted over the roar of the skiff. 

"Okay! If you don't hear from us in twenty four hours, alert the rest of the Alliance!" Adora shouted back. With that they took off, skimming over the sand. 

Huntara sighed as she watched them go, the skiff quickly shrinking in the distance. The bar maid came outside, walking over to stand next to Huntara. "So they're actually going," she commented, gazing after the skiff. Huntara nodded, not even bothering to ask how she knew what they were talking about. 

Huntara groaned irritably, heading back into the cantina. "I need a drink. Those kids are going to be the death of me." The bar maid stayed outside for a few more minutes before following her inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huntara is Thug Mom and you can't convince me otherwise! Also, SCIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!


End file.
